


bellflowers

by takaaba



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon Universe, Canonical Character Death, F/F, F/M, Fanfiction, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Hopefully this goes well, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Minor Character Death, Near Death Experiences, Plot Twists, Slow Build, my first work on this thing, please help i dont know what im doing, reiner deserves love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 16:07:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28531203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/takaaba/pseuds/takaaba
Summary: bellflowers | symbolizes loss or disappointment"why did you join the scouts?""to reclaim my homeland from the demons that took it away. i hope to return once this is all over.""i hope you make it back."Bryce wasn't stupid. She knew something was wrong, but she didn't want to even consider the idea that the boy she loved was humanity's greatest enemy.
Relationships: Bertolt Hoover/Annie Leonhart, Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss/Ymir, Levi & Hange Zoë, Mikasa Ackerman & Armin Arlert & Eren Yeager, Reiner Braun/Original Female Character(s), Reiner Braun/Reader, Sasha Blouse/Connie Springer
Comments: 1
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> wOOO FIRST WORK LETS GOOOOOO!!!! this is gonna be very sloppy but we'll make it work. i've written fanfics before but i've never done it on Ao3 so we'll see how it goes.

**year** _**845** _

_shiganshina district_

✿

_The sun is so warm..._

_Where am I..._

Carefully opening her eyes, the small girl stared through the leaves at the sky, unconsciously opening and closing her fist.

_I'm... outside the walls..?_

She sat up slowly, glancing around at her surroundings. She sat in a bed of bellflowers, the petals crushed from her weight. The girl placed her hand against her forehead, trying to remember why she was out here.

_I think.. I was collecting flowers..._

She glanced at the knocked over basket beside her, her memory still hazy. As she reached for the basket, an object flashed across her vision, making her cry out as she fell back. A hare hopped into the undergrowth, taking one glance back at her before it disappeared. She took a second to catch her breath, the sudden appearance of the creature taking the air from her lungs.

"What.. was that..?"

"A rabbit."

The girl quickly stood up at the voice, her gaze meeting that of the steely one before her.

"Hey, slow down there!" The man said, carefully grabbing her by the shoulders to steady her.

  
She glanced up at him, suddenly overcome with discomfort. She slipped from his grasp, grabbing her basket quickly, a few flowers falling out from the momentum.

"S-sorry, I'll be going now."

"Hey, wait!!"

She didn't listen, and instead turned her head and hurried away from the man. She could hear him calling as she ran back to the walls, passing by a Garrison soldier and two kids on the way through the gate. She kept running, trying to make sure the flowers in her basket didn't fall out.

Upon arriving at her home, she pushed open the door clumsily.

"Bryce! There you are! What took you so long?" Her mother quickly stopped what she was doing, chopping up vegetables is what it looked like, and came over to her daughter, pressing her pale hands against the girl's cheeks.

"I fell asleep while collecting these flowers." Bryce answered, holding out the basket with the bellflowers inside.

Her mother took the basket from her, carefully sifting through the flowers.

"Thank you, Bryce. These are beautiful." She placed a kiss on her daughter's forehead. "Now, go wash up. I'm making stew tonight."

Bryce hurried to the washroom, practically flinging her hands into the sink and scrubbing like her life depended on it. When she was done, she ran back to the kitchen where her mother was placing the chopped vegetables into the pot.

"Bryce, I forgot to get bread for the stew. Could you please go get some from the market for me?" Her mother asked, placing the knife down on the cutting board.

  
Bryce nodded, grabbing the bread basket on the counter and the change beside it before hurrying out the door, throwing out a quick "love you" for her mother. She jogged down the cobblestone road, tripping a few times on the loose stones, the change in her pocket jingling with each bound. The sound of bells cut her off from her thoughts, and she sped up her pace as she arrived by the front gate.

People gathered on the sidelines, waiting to see their heroes return from another expedition. Bryce peeked through a couple's legs, using her smaller size to her advantage. The Scouts filed in, solemn looks on their faces and carriages carrying dead soldiers following them. The young girl forced herself to look away as an older woman ran out the the crowd, begging to see her son.

She waited till the Scouts had cleared before slipping into the market and hurrying to the stall with the old woman selling buns.

"Hello, Bryce! It's so wonderful to see you!" The woman greeted, a wrinkled smile spreading on her face. Bryce nodded quietly and placed the basket on the counter.

"I need four buns please."

"Of course! Here you are, love." The woman placed the steaming buns on the basket before taking the change the young girl handed her. "Say hello to your mother for me!"

Bryce nodded before taking her basket and shuffling through the crowd. As she made her way back, she heard shouting coming from ahead. Three teenagers stood around a familiar blond boy, one of them had him pinned against the wall.

"What's the matter, heretic?! If you don't like it, let's see you hit back!"

Bryce considered just slipping past them, but she didn't want to chance an encounter herself so she quickly hid in a small alleyway, waiting for someone to show up and help the boy. In the distance, she could see a small figure quickly approaching.

"Stop that!" He called out in anger, his brow furrowed.

The boys simply grinned and readied their fists, but another figure appeared behind the boy, a girl by the looks of it. The boys quickly retreated, running past Bryce in an attempt to escape the frightening young girl. She waited till they had passed before peeking back out slightly to look at the group of three. The brunette boy was trying to help the blond, but the girl was staring straight at Bryce with a solid gaze.

"There's someone over there." She said, taking the two boys' attention away from each other.

Bryce jumped and hid behind the wall again. "Hey! Come out and show yourself!" The brunette boy called out, the anger in his voice evident.

The silver-haired girl stepped out from behind the wall sheepishly, keeping her gaze lowered.

"Bryce!" The blond called out, quickly helping himself up. "Wh-when did you get here?"

"A few seconds ago." She answered quickly, avoiding his gaze.

The brunette and ravenette looked between the two. "You know this girl, Armin?"

The blond boy, now known as Armin, nodded. "She and her mother are friends of my family's. W-we're supposed to come over for dinner tonight."

Bryce nodded, turning her attention to the four buns beside her. The brunette hummed, taking in the girl before him before grinning.

"My name's Eren Yeager! I'm Grisha Yeager's son!"

Bryce looked up in surprise. She knew that name from her mother, who would always talk about how the man had saved her life during the epidemic. She took a second to assess the boy and then moved her gaze to the girl beside him.

"And who..?"

"Mikasa." The ravenette answered, her gaze unchanged.

Bryce stood there awkwardly for a second before nodding and grabbing the bread basket.

"I should hurry. Sorry to bother you, Armin."

"Wha— wait! Bryce!"

She hurried past them, careful not to drop the buns as she continued on towards her house. Upon arrival, she pushed open the door, not as clumsily as before but with more force. Her mother jumped, glancing over quickly from where she stood in the kitchen.

"Where's the fire, kiddo?" She asked in amusement.

Bryce gave her a soft shrug and sat the buns on the table. Her mother had already placed the bowls and silverware on the table.

"Alright! Food's ready, now it's time to go get the Arlert's!" Her mother said with a smile.

At the blond's last name, Bryce tensed, her memory going back to the scene earlier. She hadn't forgotten, but she still felt guilty for not helping Armin. Her mother noticed her attitude and knelt down in front of her daughter.

"What's wrong, hun?"

Bryce shook her head in reply, turning her gaze away. "It's nothing."

Her mother gave her a look but didn't press. Instead, she picked her daughter up with a grin and swung her around happily.

"C'mon, Bryce! Turn that frown.."

She then flipped her upside down.

"..upside down!"

Bryce tried not to laugh but a smile broke through, a small giggle following. Her mother straightened her, setting the girl back down with a laugh.

"Now, let's go find those Arlert's."

Before Bryce could reply, there was a flash from outside and the ground shook, the whole house following. The girl fell back, bumping against the table leg as her mother fell against the counter.

"What..?! What was that?"

Bryce jumped up, dashing outside as screams followed the shaking. Her mother called out, but the girl didn't hear. Instead, she gazed over their house at the wall, where a large pillar of smoke and steam arose.

_What..._

_What's happening..?_


	2. The Fall of Wall Maria

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im on a rOLL LETS KEEP IT GOING

_year **845**_

_shiganshina district_

✿

From behind the wall, the pillar of steam grew, until a hand gripped the top of the wall, the stone crumbling beneath the pressure. Bryce could hear people coming out from their houses to see what had happened, but she couldn't tell when her mother had stepped out and grabbed her, frantically calling her name. Then, from behind the wall, a head arose, void of skin, instead was pure bone and muscle. She could hear her mother then as a word slipped past her lips.

"Titan.."

Then, the titan moved. It wasn't obvious what it was doing, but Bryce's mother was quick to act. She grabbed her daughter, hurrying away as Bryce watched. Before they knew it, the outer gate was destroyed. Debris flew everywhere, smashing houses and crushing people. Bryce watched as the debris crushed their house, and she was glad they had escaped before it had happened. People screamed in terror, everyone running and fleeing towards the inner gate. The large titan then shrunk behind the wall, disappearing with the pillar of steam. Then, a horde of titans crawled through the new hole in the outer gate.

They were terrifying. Lips stretched back to reveal yellowed grins and large eyes searched the debris for any surviving humans. Bryce quickly looked away, the appearances of the titans forever scarring her mind. She could hear their footsteps, even if they were miles away. She knew they were coming.

"Bryce!"

She snapped out of her daze as her mother called her name. She turned to the woman, who's eyes were wide and full of fear.

"Please, don't look at them! Come on, we're almost to the inner gate!"

Bryce wanted to say something, but she was completely silent. Instead, she nodded and turned her gaze down. People pushed past them, all fleeing in panic from the titans. As they neared the inner gate, the three from before came to mind.

"Armin.. Eren.. Mikasa!" She turned her gaze up to her mother. "Mom, my friends! What if they're still out there?!"

Her mother looked down at her before glancing back at the district before them. Titans picked at people hiding in alleys, and swiped at those attempting to flee. Bryce could see the conflict in her mother's hazel eyes, and for a second she hoped her mother would go back for them but..

"I'm sorry, Bryce..." Her mother muttered before pulling her along.

"Wait! Please! Mom! They could still be alive! We have to go back for them!"

"No!" Her mother spun around, tears in her wide eyes as she screamed. "I will not go back! We're already so close!"

Bryce could only feel anger, and in the spur of the moment decision, she ripped herself from her mother's grip and dashed in the opposite direction.

"Bryce! No! Come back! Please!"

Her mother's calls were drowned out by the screams of the people around her as they fled from the titans. She dashed through the crowds of people, slipping by to the best of her abilities. She eventually came to a clearing where a Garrison soldier was directing people, and a familiar blond boy was making his way over to the man.

"Armin!"

The blond stopped what he was saying and glanced over at the silver-haired girl as she ran over.

"Bryce! Why are you still here?!"

"I came back to help you!"

"What's wrong, Armin?" The Garrison soldier asked, his senses now on high alert.

"Eren and Mikasa went back to their house! It's over there near where the debris fell!" Armin exclaimed, frantically turning in the direction of the two kids' house.

The Garrison soldier's face paled before he gritted his teeth. "Armin! Take this girl and go to the inner gate! I'll go save Eren and Mikasa!"

A relieved smile grew on Armin's face. "Mr. Hannes.. Thank you!!" The blond then turned to Bryce, grabbing her hand. "Come on!"

Bryce nodded and began running with Armin. They headed towards the inner gate, avoiding crushed bodies and debris. Armin was keeping an eye out for titans, taking small passages to avoid them.

"There it is! Come on, we have to get on the boats!"

They passed through the inner gate, and observed the line for a second.

_Where's my mother..?_

"There!" Armin exclaimed, pointing to someone in the crowd. "Come on!"

They ran towards the line, Bryce still trying to find her mother. The two joined with Armin's grandpa, who gave the two a large hug.

"I'm glad you're both alright."

"Have you seen my mother?" Bryce asked once the older man let them go.

"She went back after you. I haven't seen her since then."

Bryce felt her blood freeze. She was unable to hear Armin's frantic questions as she turned her gaze back to the inner gate.

_Please.. please be okay..._

They boarded the boat, Bryce still out of it and Armin quietly glancing at her every now and then. Armin's grandpa and Bryce sat against the railing of the boat, but the blond boy continued to search the crowd. People were throwing their stuff overboard as Garrison soldiers directed them onto the boats.

"Sit, Armin." The boy's grandpa chastised.

"But Eren and Mikasa still aren't here." Then, something caught his eye. "There they are!"

Bryce glanced over the railing at the two, immediately taking in the traumatized look on Eren's face. She knew he had seen something, and the thought made her stomach churn uncomfortably.

"Just let him be for now." Armin's grandpa said. "That poor thing. How very traumatized he must be..."

Armin glanced back at his grandpa in confusion, but ended up sitting down anyway. Bryce lowered her head, holding her knees close. She could hear yelling coming from behind the inner gate, and she knew the titans were closing in. People on the boat were praying, and the sound of the Garrison soldiers removing the board allowing people onto the ship shocked her out of her trance.

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

"It's at full capacity! It has to leave!"

"No! Please! At least let our children on!"

The people started pushing against the Garrison soldiers, trying to board the boat.

"I'm sorry, but we can't!" One of the Garrison soldiers retorted before turning to the boat. "Get going!"

Bryce stood up quickly, looking out at the people still standing there. Her eyes surveyed the crowd before widening at a familiar figure.

"Mom!"

The woman looked past one of the soldiers in surprise. "Bryce!"

The girl reached out for her mother, her eyes filling with tears. "Mom!! Please! Grab my hand!"

Her mother began to cry, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, Bryce.."

Bryce clenched her fist, starting to climb the railings but a tight grip on her arm stopped her. She glanced back at the blond boy.

"What are you doing?!"

"Saving your life!" Armin shouted back, his cheeks flushed from embarrassment.

Bryce tried to fight back, but she harder she pulled the tighter Armin's grip grew.

"Why..? Why won't you let me leave..?"

"Your mother doesn't want you to die, so I'm not letting you throw your life away!"

Bryce teared up before finally giving up. She watched her mother grow farther away, both of their tears never stopping.

From inside the walls, the sounds of cannons pierced the air, stopping the struggling for a moment. Then, moments later, the inner gate began slowly lowering. A few Garrison soldiers ran through, the cowards fleeing in hopes of being saved.

However, the sound of loud footsteps made everyone freeze. The footsteps stopped for a moment before starting again, faster this time. Cannons fired inside the walls, and the footsteps picked up their pace. Garrison soldiers came pouring through the front gate, tripping over themselves to flee from whatever was approaching.

Bryce watched as a titan charged through the inner gate, throwing cannons, soldiers, and debris in its wake. It skidded to a halt a bit outside of the now destroyed inner gate in a crouched position. The titan opened its armored jaws, letting out what seemed like a sigh before standing.

The girl could only watch, horrified at the sudden revelation.

Wall Maria had fallen.


	3. Welcome to Trost District

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okayokay i really gotta keep up with how many words im doin per chapter cause i wanna put a lot in each but not too much yknow?
> 
> also reiner is coming! maybe he'll be in this chapter??

**year** _**845** _

_trost district_

✿

Bryce stood outside the refugee building, waiting for Eren and Mikasa who were still inside while Armin and his grandpa were off getting food. She laid her head against the pillar, watching the crowd as people waited for their rations and fought in clearings. Eren and Mikasa came out a few moments later, joining her as they observed the refugees.

"Eren! Mikasa! Bryce!"

The three turned as Armin hurried over, four small loafs of bread in his arms.

"Armin..."

"Here! Just in time!" Armin exclaimed. "My grandpa got us some by saying it was for children!" He said, passing out the bread to the three of them.

From behind them, a Garrison soldier sneered and scoffed before walking off.

"What's his problem?" Eren deadpanned.

"You can't blame him. There's probably not enough food to go around." Armin said, glancing down at the bread in Eren's hand. "And that's an entire day's worth. There are just too many refugees. There was already a food shortage going on, plus the people here aren't treated as well as citizens on the outer wall."

A group of men were fighting over their rations while a couple of Garrison soldiers watched.

"Why should we hafta give _our_ food to some lousy outsiders?"

  
His words caught Mikasa and Eren's attention, but Bryce tried to block out his hateful comments.

"If the titans got through the wall, they could've at least eaten some more people if you ask me!"

Eren clenched his teeth and started on his way towards the Garrison soldier.

"Eren!"

"This is just gonna make the food shortage even worse." Eren approached the soldier and kicked him right in the shin. "Oww! What the hell?! You damn kid!" The soldier punched Eren in the face and the second soldier kicked him onto his side.

Eren turned back to the two from where he laid on the ground, tears in his eyes. "You don't know what it's like! You've never even seen it! You've never even seen what the titans do to people!"

The Garrison soldier gritted his teeth and prepared his assault again, but Armin jumped in before he could. "I apologize! He's just hungry and irritable! That's why he so rudely lashed out at an adult... I'm very sorry!" Armin bowed while Mikasa and Bryce checked on Eren.

The Garrison soldier furrowed his brows with a flustered look on his face from everyone's stares. "It's 'cause of us that you guys aren't starving to death, you know!" He turned and started walking away. "Even you kids oughta be thankful to us!"

"Of course!"

Eren lowered his head. "Damn... I refuse to let them take care of me."

Bryce gave Eren a look as they helped him up. They move back towards the refugee building, carefully moving through the crowd. Eren sat on the wall between two pillars, Mikasa and Armin standing in front of him. Bryce sat leaning on the pillar beside him, keeping her gaze on her feet.

"I'm going back. To Wall Maria! I'm going to destroy every last titan!"

"Eren..." Armin sighed. "You're not being serious, are you?"

"I'm serious!" Eren yelled, jumping up and making Armin take a step back. "I'm not like those guys who do nothing but act tough inside the walls!" The boy gripped his bread before chucking it at Armin. "I don't need this crap!"

Armin fumbled with the bread for a second before catching it in his hands. "Eren! You'll starve to death!"

Bryce tuned them out for a second, trying to gather her thoughts, but the sound of skin connecting with skin brought her back just in time to see Eren hit the ground.

"Mikasa..." She muttered, eyes wide.

The ravenette straightened up, while Armin glanced at Eren in sympathy.

"If Armin's a wimp, then so are we. Whether it was running from the titans or fleeing the town, we didn't manage anything on our own. We even had help finding food today." Mikasa started, gazing down at the brunette on the ground as he sat up to look at her. "There's no way such powerless people can defeat even a single one of those titans."

Eren kissed his teeth and looked away from her judging gaze as she continued, "Staying alive is what matters most. Just like your mother said."

At the mention of Eren's mother, Bryce felt a pain in her chest. She remembered Eren and Mikasa explaining to Armin and her what had happened. She felt sympathetic for the boy, and decided to keep her mother's fate to herself.

She walked forwards, taking the bread from Armin and stuffing it in Eren's mouth. "Mikasa!" Armin gasped.

"You have to eat and stay alive. I won't let you starve to death."

✿

Bryce stood in the crowd, listening to the Garrison soldiers as they announced that there was a foot shortage. They also explained the expedition that would take place using the refugees. The girl clenched her jaw and spun around, moving past people so she could return to the refugee building in hopes of saying goodbye to Armin's grandpa. In her blind rage, she didn't see the man dashing towards her until it was too late. They crashed into one another, sending her knocking back into whoever was behind her.

"Reiner! Are you okay?!"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine!"

Bryce quickly sat up, her gaze meeting the hazel one across from her. The blond boy sat up as well, holding the back of his head. A taller ravenette stepped around her, helping the blond up.

"S-sorry.. I wasn't watching where I was going."

The blond, apparently named Reiner, gave her an anxious smile. "I-it's okay."

The ravenette looked at his friend as he helped him up. "Come on, we need to go find Annie."

The blond nodded before waving at the silver-haired girl on the floor and running off with his friend. Bryce watched him go, her cheek pulsing in a dull pain from the collision earlier. The softly stroked her cheek, her memory flickering back to the boys' hazel eyes.

They reminded her of her mother's...

✿

_**year 847** _

"The 104th Cadet Corps Class entrance ceremony will now begin! You have the misfortune of having me, Keith Shadis, as your commandant! I do not welcome you warmly! In your current state, you'd be nothing but food for the titans! You're mere livestock! You're less than livestock! Over the next three years, we're going to train you worthless nothings and teach you how to fight titans! Three years from now, when you come face-to-face with the titans, will you still be fodder for them?! Will you serve as an honorable barrier that protects the king?! Or will you be a glorious soldier for humanity that drives the titans out! It's up to you to decide!"

Bryce, now the ripe and prime age of 13, stood among her fellow Cadets. She observed the others around her, trying to avoid the intense glare of Keith Shadis. He walked down from the hill he stood on and walked in front of the first line. He would stop every now and then and question the Cadets, before making them turn around. By the time he arrived at the third line, he spotted Armin standing a little ways in front of her, and sadly, he was immediately targeted by the intimidating man.

"Hey you! What's your name?"

"Armin Arlert from Shiganshina District, sir!"

"Oh yeah? Sounds like a name for a fool. Who picked it? Your parents?"

"My grandfather named me, sir!"

"Arlert, what are you doing here?"

"To help humanity win, sir!"

"Well, good for you! You'll make great fodder for the titans! Row three, turn around!" Keith snapped, taking Armin by the head and making him turn. His line followed.

He then moved onto a blond haired boy, who was named Thomas Wagner. Then he moved on after bullying the other Cadets a bit, turning the fourth row around as he walked in front of the fifth row. Bryce watched as he stopped in front of her.

"You.. What's your name?"

"Sir!" The silver-haired girl saluted. "Bryce Tyner from Shiganshina District, sir!"

"Tyner, what is it that you're here for? You seem like you'd rather be anywhere but here."

"I'm here in hopes of one day reclaiming my hometown, sir!"

"Well isn't that sweet. You'll be the first to go to the titans then! Row five, turn around!"

  
Bryce turned with a kiss of her teeth, sending a small glare towards the commandant. Among the other Cadets, she managed to spot a somewhat familiar face, and that same dull pain from a year ago returned, as well as his name.

_Reiner... It seems we meet again._

Shadis continued on, eventually stopping at a few more people before reaching a girl with a ponytail that was... eating a potato? Bryce squinted a bit while Shadis yelled at her, trying to see what exactly she was eating. Like she had guessed, the girl was indeed eating a potato. The girl, now known as Sasha after she introduced herself, offered a small piece of her potato, claiming it was half. It wasn't. Shadis ended up making her run till she dropped.

Bryce sat in the chow hall, quietly sipping on her soup while the Cadets crowded around Eren's table, asking his questions about the titans.

"Like I said, I've seen it." Eren repeated.

"Are you serious?"

"How big are they?"

"Tall enough to look over the wall." Eren answered.

"Huh?! I heard they climbed over the wall."

"Me too."

"They said so in my village too!"

"No... they weren't that big." Eren muttered.

"What did they look like?"

"They didn't have much skin and their mouths were huge." Eren answered, taking a sip of his soup.

"What about the 'Armored Titans' who destroyed Wall Maria?"

"People call them that.. but they seem like ordinary titans to me." Eren answered, seeming indifferent.

Bryce tuned them out then, looking around at everyone else in the chow hall not crowding around Eren. Reiner was sitting at the table beside hers, sipping on his drink while he listened to them. She kept her gaze on him, observing his appearance briefly. She was caught off guard when he turned, his hazel eyes meeting her blue ones. She flushed in embarrassment at being caught staring, but the boy only nodded to her. She turned her gaze back to her soup quickly, acting like she wasn't looking at the boy.

_What the hell.. Why was I staring?_

She ignored her thoughts, going back to her soup as a new voice sprung up.

"Hey, are you crazy?" Bryce turned slightly to look over her shoulder at the light brunette, who, if she remembered correctly, was named Jean. "Did you just say Scout Regiment?"

"Yeah, so?" Eren retorted, "you're gonna join the Military Police and take it easy, right?"

"Hey, I'm an honest guy. I figure thats more refreshing than faking bravery when you're scared shitless."

Eren stood up with a dark look. "You referring to me?"

"G-guys, cut it out!"

"Hey, I didn't mean..." Jean stood up, meeting Eren halfway as the taller boy stood overlooking Eren with a smirk.

However, the bell ringing outside signalling the end of dinner stopped whatever argument was about to ensue. Bryce turned her attention away, opting to pick up her empty bowl and make her way out of the chow hall. As she was walking out, she heard a voice call out to her.

"Hey! Wait a second!"

She turned to look over her shoulder, meeting the blue gaze of a small girl's. She was unsure of her name, but the girl beat her to the question.

"I saw you earlier in there; you're from Shiganshina right?"

Bryce nodded. "Yeah, but that doesn't matter."

"R-right.. M-my name is Krista Lenz! It's nice to meet you..."

"Bryce."

The blonde girl glowed with happiness at her response. In that moment, Bryce couldn't help but compare her with an angel. So, she said her goodbyes and continued off to their respective dorms. She entered the girls', taking a small glance around before spotting Mikasa. She walked towards her, hearing her mutter under her breath.

"..too long, I need to cut it. It's too long, I need to cut it. It's too long.."

"Oi, Earth to Mikasa."

The ravenette stopped her muttering, turning her gaze up to look at Bryce.

"Oh. Sorry, I was thinking.."

"About what?"

Mikasa was silent for a moment, her hair caught between her fingers. "..nothing."

Bryce didn't believe her, so she sat down on the bed beside her and rummaged through Mikasa's bag.

"What are you—"

"Hold still."

She moved to kneel in front of her, carefully taking her hair and snipping at it with the scissors Mikasa had in her bag. The ravenette was silent, simply opting to wait until her friend was done. When she finished, Mikasa ran her hand through her hair, observing Bryce's work.

"There. Is it too short?"

Mikasa shook her head, lowering her face into her scarf as she looked away.

"Thank you."

  
Bryce hummed in reply and tossed the scissors back into Mikasa's bag.

"Alright. Good night Mikasa."

"Good night.."


End file.
